Earth Sciences - Water University of Waterloo

Overview

This Earth Sciences - Water programme offered by University of Waterloo combines advanced research in Earth Sciences with specialized interdisciplinary training focused on global water challenges. Students develop expertise in water sciences, sustainable resource management, earth processes, and geohazards while conducting original research that advances scientific understanding of natural and human-influenced environments. The programme emphasizes quantitative analysis and rigorous scientific investigation of biogeochemical, hydrogeological, and geological systems and their responses to environmental change and human activities.

Key Facts

A key feature of the programme is the Collaborative Water component, which complements doctoral research through two interdisciplinary water courses that integrate both theoretical and practical learning. Students participate in lectures, fieldwork, interdisciplinary group projects, and individual research seminars while building expertise in their chosen research area. Research opportunities include groundwater hydrology, coastal processes, landscape evolution, geophysical investigations, remote sensing, geochronology, and geospatial analysis. Graduates are prepared to contribute to research, policy, environmental management, and water-resource decision-making in academic, government, and industry settings.